Jus In Bello
by Acheron Blake
Summary: Alternative ending to Jus In Bello. Sam has changed. He's distant and cold-hearted. And Dean finds out why. Note: Do Not Read If You Haven't Seen this Episode. Or not.
1. Chapter 1

Dean cocked his gun and peered out the window, searching for demons in the immediate area

Dean cocked his gun and quickly looked around him, searching for demons in the immediate area. He popped the trunk of The Impala and grabbed his duffel. Dean quickly rummaged through the trunk, pulling out all of the rock salt rounds and the shotguns. He pulled the bag of anti-possession charms off the hook attached to the underside of the trunk and stuffed it in his pocket. Dean's hand brushed the empty space where the Colt used to be and swore to himself that he'd find Bella and kill her.

As Dean reached over to close the weapon's cover his closed fist hit the very back of the trunk. The secret compartment popped open and Dean swore he saw something glow inside there. But it wasn't the usual glow of hoodoo or black magic. No, this was different. It seemed to give off no heat and the glow was dark. He remembered Sam's whispered words.

"_Dean, I need you to grab what you see in the secret compartment." Sam looked so deadpanned that Dean was instantly curious. _

"_Why? What is it?"_

"_Just something very important."_

Dean hadn't known what to think and still didn't, but if Sam thought it was important... Still, Dean was curious to know what was in there. He reached into the compartment and took out what was inside. To say that Dean was surprised would've been an understatement. The only thing he found was a small cloth bag with some kind of symbol on the front.

Dean's skin crawled as soon as it made contact with his skin. Goosebumps broke out along his arm and he had the terrible urge to throw it as far away from him as he could. He stared at it in fascination, wanting to know what was inside. He slowly pulled on the strings and was about to open it when a fierce wind started to blow. The streetlight flickered wildly and the air was suddenly heavy with electricity. Dean heard a sound like a stampede of wild horses. He looked toward the main road into town.

"Fuck!"

A cloud of demons was heading right for the station and Dean was still outside. He took off immediately for the doors. The roar of the approaching demons got louder and louder and he ran faster.

"They're coming," Dean yelled as he slammed the doors behind him. Nancy screamed as a demon rammed itself into the window and ran to the front lobby. Dean made his way to the front lobby as the demons broke over the building and tried to force their way in. Sam cocked his shotgun as well and looked to the Seals of Solomon and the salt lines. The continuous assault by the cloud of demons rocked the building and its foundations.

After a few minutes of absolute darkness, the cloud of demons slowly receded and seemed to vanish completely. Sam and Dean checked the windows and doors for any signs of a broken line or any demonic stragglers.

"Alright everybody needs to put these on," Dean ordered, taking out the bag of charms. "They'll keep you from being possessed."

"What about you and Sam?" Nancy asked as she, Henrickson, and Amichi put them on.

Sam and Dean pulled aside their shirts to show them the tattoos on their breastbones. They were shaped like converted pentagrams inside of suns.

"Smart," Henrickson commented. "How long you had those?"

"Not long enough." Sam responded. "Now, Amichi I need you to go double check everything."

"But," Amichi started. "We just..."

"Amichi. This isn't going to work if you keep questioning every little thing. Now, go check again."

Amichi looked angrily at Sam for a second but finally went off to the back rooms. Dean and Henrickson watched Sam as he rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You okay, Sammy," Dean asked as he worriedly watched his brother.

Sam sighed and rubbed his arms. "You really need to stop asking me that. Dean."

Amichi came back in, gripping his gun tightly. "It's all secure. I didn't see any demons either."

Nancy let out her long held breath and sighed. "So it's over now, right? I mean, they're gone now, right?"

"Afraid not, Nancy," Dean said. "That was just the pre-emptive strike. They'll be back."

"Hey guys," Henrickson shouted from the hallway. "You gotta come see this."

They all made their way to Henrickson and peered out the foggy windows. What they saw didn't exactly make them feel better. A crowd of people gathered outside of the station, their eyes as black as night.

"Hey," Nancy exclaimed. "That's Jenna Rubner."

"It's not Jenna anymore," Sam stated.

"That's where all that black demon smoke went?"

"Looks like."

One demon tried to ram its way through the wall but couldn't break through the door. It hammered on the door wildly, ramming itself against the salt line. Eventually it stopped and made its way back to the crowd.

"There's no way they can get in here, right?" Amichi asked Dean.

"As long as the lines are unbroken, then they shouldn't be able..."

Dean broke off as a crash was heard and something fell into the back office. Sam and Dean took of running for the room, their guns pointed ahead of them. They opened the door and then sighed.

Ruby was there, caught in one of the Seals of Solomon and panting. She had a slight wound over her eye and on her cheek. Her gaze was calm, as if she had just walked through a field of daisies and not a crowd of demons.

"How do we kill her?" Henrickson asked Sam as he cocked his shotgun.

"We don't," Sam replied as he pushed the barrel down.

"She's a demon," Henrickson argued.

"She's here to help us."

Ruby panted and looked down at the Seal. "You gonna let me out?" She asked Sam as he moved closer to her. Sam took out his blade and scraped a small line through the Seal, freeing her.

"And they say chivalry is dead. Does anyone have a breath mint? Some guts splattered into my mouth as I was killing my way in here."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head as she walked into the front. Dean followed closely behind her and Sam re-checked the salt line and smoothed it out again.

"How many are out there?" Dean questioned Ruby as she leaned against the desk.

"Thirty, at least. That's so far." Ruby answered.

"Oh, good. Thirty. Thirty hit men all gunning for us." He turned to her. "Who sent 'em?"

Ruby looked towards the door as Sam joined the others. "You didn't tell Dean?" Dean quickly glanced at Sam. "Well, I'm surprised."

"Tell me what?" Dean asked her.

"There's a big new up and comer. A real pied piper."

"Who is he?"

"Not he, her. Her name is Lilith."

"Lilith?"

"And she really really wants Sam's intestines on a stick. Guess she see him as competition."

Dean turned his head towards Sam and glared at him. "You knew about this?" Sam swallowed and averted his eyes. "Well ghee Sam, is there anything else I should know?" His voice rose angrily.

"Hum. How about the two of you talk about this later?" Ruby looked at Dean first then Sam. "We'll need the Colt."

Sam and Dean averted their eyes and wouldn't look directly at her.

"Where's the Colt?" Ruby demanded.

"It got stolen," Sam replied.

"I'm sorry. I must have blood in my ear. I thought I just heard you say that you were stupid enough to let the Colt get grabbed out of your thick, clumsy, idiotic hands." "Fantastic," she said, getting up and facing the wall. "This is just peachy."

Sam and Dean looked at each other guiltily.

"Ruby..." Sam started.

"Shut up" she interrupted. She paused in thought.

"Fine," Ruby said, turning around to face them. "Since I don't see that there's any other option there's one other way that I know how to get you out of here alive."

"What's that?" Dean asked her.

"I know a spell. It'll vaporize every demon in a one mile radius. Myself included. So you let the Colt out of your sight and now I have to die. So next time, be more careful. How's that for a dying wish."

Ruby went back to leaning against the desk.

"Okay," Dean said, standing up. "What do we need to do?"

"Aww, you can't do anything. The spell is very specific. It calls for a person of virtue." Ruby looked at each of them in turn.

"I got virtue," Dean offered.

Ruby laughed at him. "Nice try. You're not a virgin."

Dean laughed at her words. "Nobody's a virgin."

Ruby stared at him for a moment. Amichi looked at Nancy and so did Ruby. With a questioning look on his face, turned to where she was looking. Sam did as well.

Nancy rubbed the back of her neck, folded her arms, and turned away from Dean's eyes.

"No," Dean said. "No way. You're kidding me, right? You're a..."

"What," Nancy said. "It's a choice. Okay?"

"Wait, so you've...you've never... not even once. I mean, not even...Wow." Dean sounded genuinely surprised.

"So... this spell?" Nancy asked. "What can I do?"

"You can hold still," Ruby started as she walked towards Nancy. "While I cut your hear out of your chest."

"What?" Nancy exclaimed.

"Whoa, what? Are you crazy?' Dean shouted.

"I'm offering a solution," Ruby explained.

"You're offering to kill somebody," Dean countered.

"And what do you think's going to happen to this girl when the demons get in?"

"We're going to protect her, that's what." Henrickson explained.

"Excuse me," Nancy tried to be heard.

"Very noble," Ruby said sarcastically.

"Excuse me," Nancy tried again.

"You're all gonna die. Look, this is the only way..."

"Yeah, yeah. There's no way..."

"Would everybody please shut up," Nancy yelled over them. They all stopped and looked at her, Nancy looked to Ruby. "All the people out there, will it save them?"

"It'll blow the demons out of their bodes," Ruby informed her. "So if their bodies are okay, yeah."

Ruby and Nancy shared a long, slow look. "I'll do it."

"You don't have to do this," Dean told her.

"All my friends are out there," Nancy justified.

"We don't sacrifice people," Henrickson stated. "We do that we're no better than them."

"We don't have a choice," Ruby whispered.

"Well your choice is not a choice."

"Sam," Ruby said, turning to him. "You know I'm right." Sam stared at her.

"Sam," Dean called his name. Sam just looked at him. "What the hell is going on? Sam, tell her."

"It's my choice," Nancy decided.

"Damn straight, cherry pie." Ruby joked.

"Stop," Dean yelled. "Stop. Nobody kill any virgins." Dean looked around. "Sam, I need to talk to you."

Dean walked down the hall with Sam following behind. Dean turned around to face Sam sharply.

"Please tell me that you're not actually considering this. You're talking about holding a girl down and cutting out her heart."

"And we're also talking about thirty people out there, Dean. Innocent people. Who are all gonna die along with everyone in here."

"Does that mean that we throw away the rulebook and stop acting like humans? I'm not gonna let that demon kill some nice, sweet, innocent girl who hasn't even been laid. Look, if that's how you win wars then I don't want to win."

"Then, what? What do we do, Dean?"

"I got a plan. I'm not saying it's a good one. I'm not even saying that it'll work, but it sure beats killing a virgin."

"Okay. So what's the plan?"

"Open the doors, let them all in, and then we fight."

Sam closed the door as he entered the front office.

"Did you get the equipment to work?" Dean asked Sam.

"Yeah," Sam responded.

"So."

"So, this is insane."

"You win understatement of the year," Ruby said sarcastically.

"Look, I get it..." Dean began.

"I don't think," Ruby cut him off. "I know. It's not gonna work." Ruby got up of the desk and headed for the door. "So long boys."

"So you're just gonna leave." Sam said to her back.

"Hey," Ruby exclaimed turning back around to face them. "I was gonna kill myself to help you win. I'm not gonna stand her and watch you lose.' She stared at Sam as she walked closer to him. "And I'm disappointed. Because I tried, I really did. But clearly, I bet on the wrong horse.' She looked towards the exit. "Do you mind letting me out?"

Sam scraped a line out of the Seal at the main entrance and wiped a line into the salt. Ruby walked out and pulled out her blade. She walked menacingly toward the gathered demons.

"I'm leaving. Who wants to stop me?"

Ruby continued forward and the crowd parted around her, letting her pass. At least, until one small voice rang out. "I do."

A small child stepped forward and immediately all of the demons prostrated themselves before her. The child smiled up at her before jerking her head slightly. Ruby was thrown back into the wall of the station and pinned there.

"You've been a bad girl Ruby," Lilith chastised her as she moved closer and closer. "Helping the Winchester boy, repairing their precious Colt, killing my dear Kasdeya when all she was doing was playing with the witches. You will pay."

"Do your worst bitch," Ruby panted out as she was pressed harder and harder into the brick wall. "You know why? Because even if you kill me here and now, Sam will stop you, especially when he realizes that you hold Dean's contract."

Lilith laughed. "Even if he does succeed in doing it, you won't be here to witness it now will you?" She raised one of her pale, tiny hands and Ruby screamed in agony.

Meanwhile, Sam and Dean were going over the plan with the others, making sure they knew exactly what to do.

"So when all the demons are inside of the building you two have got to re-salt the doors and windows from the outside." Nancy and Amichi looked at Dean as if he were crazy.

"You know this is a pretty ballsy plan," Henrickson told Sam and Dean. "Even for the two of you."

Dena shared a long look with Henrickson and was going to reply, probably with some totally inappropriate joke when they heard a slam against the wall.

"What the hell was that?" Amichi wondered as he swung his gun towards the sound. "I thought that they couldn't get in."

"They can't," Dean reassured him.

"Unless..." Sam pondered.

"Unless what?" Amichi asked Sam.

"Yeah, Sam." Dean turned to him with a 'shut the fuck up' glare. "Unless what?"

"What, Dean? I'm just saying that..." Right then they heard an agonizing scream and Nancy turned away from her place at the door.

"You guys need to come over here."

"Why," Dean asked her. "What is it?"

"That Ruby girl is being tortured by some white-eyed little girl."

"Shit!" Sam shouted as they ran for the doors. Peering through the windows they saw it. They saw Ruby, pinned to the wall and screaming in agony as she was being pinned by a pale, dark-haired little girl.

Sam stared at her and felt truly afraid. He could feel her power, even through the protections of the salt lines and the Seals of Solomon dampening her affect inside the building. It felt oppressive and evil, like all of the sorrows of the world were weighing you down and you just wanted to end it.

Sam hadn't told Dean about his recently returned powers and hadn't planned on it any time soon. But he couldn't let Ruby die, especially not since she had just offered to kill herself to save him and Dean. A plan started to form in Sam's mind and he grimaced

"Dean..." Sam started to say.

"No Sam," Dean said, cutting him off. "No. We're not going to risk ourselves to save her. You heard what she said."

"Dean."

"What? Even if we wanted to save her we're vastly outnumbered and the minute we step outside these walls."

"I've got a plan."


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty minutes later they were all watching as Sam drew complex symbols onto the walls and floor surrounding the main lobby of the station

Twenty minutes later they were all watching as Sam drew complex symbols onto the walls and floor surrounding the main lobby of the station. He was muttering under his breath in a language none of them could recognize. It hurt their ears to listen to him so they stayed by the windows and watched the demon horde relentlessly press against the invisible barrier keeping them out.

They seemed to sense that something was going on because they'd been increasing the number of attempts on the station. And through it all stood Lilith, a little behind the others and off to the side, her lips tilting slightly in a self-satisfied smirk.

Sam quickened his pace as he chanted under his breath and sketched the symbols onto the surface of the floor and walls. He knew that Lilith wasn't going to cool her heels outside for much longer and he had to finish before she decided to mount a counterattack.

He finished scrawling the last symbol onto the wall and slumped in exhaustion. They glowed with a bright white light; blinding them all. When the light faded the symbols had vanished, as if they had never been there.

"What the hell was that?" Amichi asked as he and the others closed their eyes; turning away from him.

Sam cursed under his breath when he realized they'd all seen him etching the symbols into the building. He'd been so focused on his plan that he'd totally forgotten about them. If Lilith got in, she'd know immediately what he was up to and it wouldn't work.

But Sam also knew that he couldn't betray Dean like that. Couldn't ruthlessly erase his memories. It would have been a total and utter betrayl of his trust and Sam knew how hard it was to earn Dean's trust; how few people really had it. He'd just have to think of another way. Sam shook his head in regret a few seconds later; it'd be dangerous and potentially fatal but it was the only alternative.

Dean saw Sam shake his head with what seemed like regret. He honestly didn't know what to make of Pictograph Sam and his weird _weird_ symbols; or the fact that they magically disappeared. Whatever it was, Sam had changed. Nothing overtly noticeable about him was different but, suddenly, it was like he'd come into his own. He was more confident, more aware, and more vigilant. All the things that Dean prided himself on being, Sam was becoming. Dean wondered if Sam even needed him anymore.

He'd never said anything like this to Sam; he didn't know how to open up and just talk. Dean knew he could trust Sam with everything he kept close to his chest, Sam listened and didn't judge him, would never judge him.

But he couldn't, he just couldn't bring himself to and whine and go on about his feelings. But, he was starting to see that if he didn't at least make an attempt to open up a little Sam was going to move on to greener pastures; like back to school.

Right now, however, Sam had a look on his face that Dean had never seen before. His eyes were shuttered and his expression was blank. He turned his body to face them and slowly stood up.

Sam didn't want to do this, in fact, everything inside of him was screaming at him to just go with Dean's plan and hope for the best. But he didn't have the luxury for maybes and slim chances. He had to destroy Lilith and her horde once and for all, even if that meant the possibility of becoming her in the process.

**"Look at me."** Sam's voice had a slight echo that overlaid his regular commanding tone. Immediately Henrickson, Nancy, and Amichi turned to face him while Dean looked on in shock.

He had only heard that type of voice once before. Andy Gallagher had had the same echoing tone when he used his 'Jedi' mind trick. The question was, when had Sam developed that particular skill and why hadn't he told Dean about it? Even more frightening: had Sam ever used it to control him?

Sam could hear Dean's thoughts loud and clear. He winced at the path they were taking and Sam promised himself that he'd allay Dean's fears when it was all over. But right now, he had to get them out of there alive.

"**You will forget what you just saw,"** Sam said, moving closer to them.

Dean backed away from Sam's approach unconsciously and put his back to the wall. He knew logically that distance wouldn't protect him from Sam's power but he did it anyway. For the first time in his life, he actually feared his brother.

Sam spared a look at Dean as he continued his memory wipe silently. He met each of their eyes in turn and erased any memory they had of the symbols, of his mutterings. He finally finished and went to bend back down, exactly how he was right before their memories altered.

Dean watched out of the corner of his eyes as Sam returned to his position and the others snapped out of Sam's hold. The looked at each blearily as if still half asleep and scrubbed their eyes in confusion.

Sam got up again and went to the window. He looked out into the night and a mocking, teasing smirk flashed across his face, while in the mirror his eyes seemed to glint unnaturally.

Dean gasped at the reflection in the window pane and Sam quickly whipped around to face him but Dean had already turned around to look at the wall behind him. Because Dean had seen something that chilled him to the bone; just for a moment, he had seen a glint of yellow in Sam's eyes as he stared out at the mass of demons. And only one demon he'd ever met had yellow eyes.

~**~**~**~

Lilith giggled behind her tiny hand as Ruby dropped from the sky and landed hard onto the asphalt for the seventh time. She had given up on forcing Ruby through the brick wall and started to explore other, more inventive tortures. And by the looks of her, Ruby wasn't fairing so well.

Her face was a mask of blood and gravel and her movements were slow and deliberate as she forced herself back onto her feet again. Lilith was killing her by inches, and Ruby knew that she wouldn't last much longer so she decided that she would go out in style.

"Wow," She drawled, wiping away the blood from her mouth. "That last little jaunt actually felt a little weaker than the last six. What's wrong Lilith, losing your touch?"

Ruby grinned at Lilith and her blood-stained smile annoyed Lilith to no end. Angrily, Lilith balled her hands into a fist and Ruby collapsed to her knees as she felt herself being forcefully ripped from the body she inhabited.

Pain wracked her as she tried to hold onto the body but she was being slowly torn out. She tried not to, but the pain got to be so much that she screamed in agony, bloody tears tracked down her eyes.

Lilith beamed at Ruby's crumpled and screaming form. Her assembled flock gathered around to see the fall of the once proud demoness. They stamped and growled like a pack of wild animals as Ruby forced herself to get up by sheer force of will.

Ruby raised her head slowly and spat out blood onto Lilith's white shoes and rested her hands against her thighs, in a calm matter, like nothing was affecting her.

"You better do something before the natives get rest-"

Ruby paused as an unusual pang went through her. It was a warning and quite a big one too. Lilith paused as well, seeming to sense it also. Ruby painfully got to her feet and tried to focus on the feeling and where it was coming from.

It spiked suddenly and a shiver went through Ruby's body. She knew where it was coming from; hell, she even knew what it was coming from although it should have been impossible.

Lilith jerked her head around to stare at Ruby as her followers frowned in puzzlement. Ruby however was shocked into silence.

"No," Ruby whispered to herself. "No, it can't be. He's dead."

Lilith stalked towards Ruby and poked her in the chest, causing her to wince. She shook her head at her, refusing to believe it.

"No, it's not possible. Azazel can not still be alive. The Winchester boy killed him. My agents made sure of it."

"Well, obviously they were wro-" Ruby paused as a sense of dread went through her. There was only one way that Azazel could have survived that night at the Gate.

She spun around and made a dash towards the building before anybody could stop her. She soon ran into the barrier of salt and frantically tried to force her way through it.

Lilith was quick behind her and ordered two of her followers to restrain Ruby but desperation gave her strength and she shrugged them off. Ruby looked up as Lilith reached her side, and gasped.

"I don't know what you're planning Ruby but-"

Lilith was cut off as Ruby gripped her arm tightly. She angrily gestured toward the police station window and let Lilith go. Lilith jerked away from Ruby and raised her hand to vaporize her when she looked up into the window as well and froze.

There, in the window, was little Sammy Winchester. But it wasn't the sight of Sam that gave them both pause. What had made them freeze was the fact that Sam now had yellow eyes and a self-satisfied smirk on his face. His hand lifted in a small half wave and then he was gone, having spun away from the window.

Ruby and Lilith were speechless; utterly lost for words. Both of them had been sure that Azazel was dead. Now they found out that he inhabited Sam Winchester, the main attraction for their little get-together.

Ruby was furious, absolutely fuming inside. She had spent weeks getting close to Sam, slowly earning his trust, carefully nudging him in the right direction. And now it seemed that Azazel had been inside him the entire time, laughing at her, making a fool out of her. Ruby was so pissed that she lashed out telekinetically against the barrier of salt. She struck out again and again, pitting her rage and disgust against the purity of it.

Although Ruby channeled her anger into her powers, they had little effect on the barrier until Lilith raised a pale hand and laid it against it. Immediately, tremors quaked through the ground and the barrier became a physical thing, ripples spreading out from the center of her palm, covering the barrier entirely.

The ground shook and Lilith strained against the barrier, pouring more and more power into its destruction. It was clear that the struggle weakened her, her already pale face lost all of its chilidsh glee and her eyes slowly bled back to their human color. Ruby knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer, and the barrier was nowhere near destroyed yet; she took a deep breath, dreading what she'd have to do next, and placed her hand on Lilith's shoulder.

At the same time she telekinetically tugged one of the minions into her grasp as well. The results were immediate; Ruby drained the demonic power of her captive and sent it through to Lilith. Lilith gasped as the infusion of demonic essence spun through her, lifting her up and returning some of her strength. She turned to look at Ruby with shock in her eyes as the young demoness grabbed another of her followers and sucked the energy out of him, passing it along to her.

The two had run through about twenty of the demons before the barrier finally broke with a faint popping sound. Lilith and Ruby slumped in exhaustion, both of them tired from expending so much energy and power. Lilith's followers hung back, scared of becoming fuel for the pair, and gossiped amongst themselves.

Ruby was a Thief. It was surprising news, and rare as well. Only human-born demons could become Thieves and only one in a million of them ever exhibited the ability. They mostly served the Ancient Ones, those of demonkind who were so old and powerful they had a place in millennia old legends and myths.

Lilith had finally begun to move and she quickly craned her head to stare up at Ruby.

"You're one of them," she stated, not posing it as a question. "You're a Thief."

Ruby shook her head to clear the cobwebs and smirked down at Lilith.

"Yeah, so what if I am."

"Well, it certainly makes you more interesting," Lilith circled behind Ruby, looking her up and down. "Much more interesting."

"I'm glad you think so," Ruby sneered as she turned to look at the now unprotect police station. "But right now we have more important things to deal with."

Her hand clenched and unclenched as she saw the shades go down and the lights in the station turn back on. Lilith didn't have enough power to spare on dampening the electricity and there weren't enough remaining demons to collectively pool their powers together for the same effect..

But that didn't matter right now because they had a demon to deal with and a Sam to save. Or kill.


End file.
